Wheels Galleries

Doug Reed unveiled his refurbished Olds custom at the recent Lead Sled Spectacular in Salina. He has owned and driven the fastback for more than 40 years now.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

The distinctive '49 Olds front end is enhanced with deep forest-green scallops; pinstriping details were added by Rocky Burris Jr. Note the vintage "Fundamentals" car club tag; Reed was among the first to join that group.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

Wide whitewalls, '53 Olds Fiesta hubcaps and just a ring of red steel wheel showing make for the perfect period wheel treatment.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

The interior of the Olds is as intriguing as the outside. Corey Conyers restored both the steering wheel and the Hydra-Matic shift lever, while Chad Ward applied the striping detail. The tuck and roll interior, this time around, was done by Roger Maunz in contrasting white and dark green vinyl.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

The 1949 Olds was at the forefront of the overhead valve V-8 revolution, but Reed upped the ante by installing this 371 cubic inch J-2 Olds engine, bored .60" over and equipped with a full race cam, milled heads and three Rochester 2-barrel carbs.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

Although the six rows of louvers punched by Dave Stuckey add to the overall custom vibe of the Olds, they are functional, too. Reed says the '57 vintage J-2 Olds V-8 produces plenty of heat and the added ventilation is needed.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

A mild custom from the 1960s wouldn't be complete without a frenched-in antenna somewhere. The left front fender was the logical spot of choice for the smoothly tunneled aerial.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

The rear view of "The Toad" helps explain how the car got its nickname. Reed says that with the green color and the slope of the fastback, the car resembled a toad sitting on a lily pad.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

Doug Reed's faithful 1949 Oldsmobile fastback has served him well for four decades. The green two-door mild custom known as "The Toad" recently underwent a complete freshening up, but kept its eye-catching color scheme and the scallops designed by the late Elden Titus. Mike Schoech of Auto Artistry in Russell was in charge of the overall restoration.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

Both the front and rear seats are stock items, reupholstered by Roger Maunz in the correct mid-'60s custom look.

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle

Doug Reed

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Mike Berry / Mike Berry/The Wichita Eagle